BY THE NUMBERS: LASZLO PAPP By Don Stradley • Illustration by KronkAAArt By the time he turned professional in 1957, Laszlo Papp of Hungary was history’s most decorated amateur boxer. Unfortunately, his country’s communist government kept Papp from reaching his full potential in the pro ranks. While he remained a revered figure back home in Budapest, the world would always wonder if the greatness he’d shown as an amateur would continue in the high-stakes game of big-money boxing. Regarding Papp, they could only wonder, “What could have been?” Here’s his story by the numbers.
bouts with Peter Mueller » Papp enjoyed the best part of his pro career starting in 1961, highlighted by two knockout wins over German workhorse Peter Mueller. In 1963, Papp fought Mueller a third time and scored yet another KO win. But even as Papp racked up the victories, some critics withheld their praise. Of course, they admired Papp for being the only fighter from a Soviet bloc country to turn professional. They also acknowledged his ability as a counterpuncher. Yet there were questions about his opposition, a group described by one British sportswriter as the “aging ornaments of the European middleweight scene.”
years as European Boxing Union titleholder » Papp won the EBU middleweight laurels in May of 1962 by defeating Denmark’s Christian Christensen by seventh-round TKO. He went on to defend the belt six times, including KO wins over England’s George Aldridge and France’s Hippolyte Annex. In between defenses of his European belt, Papp scored non-title victories over two rugged but faded Americans, Randy Sandy and Charley Cotton. On October 9, 1964, in what turned out to be the final bout of Papp’s career, he scored a 15-round decision over England’s Mick Leahy. Papp knocked Leahy down four times along the way, using what one journalist called “all his vast store of craft and experience to win.” At 38, Papp was an old fighter by the day’s standard. Yet there was talk that he would challenge the reigning middleweight champion, Joey Giardello. Fate, of course, and the Hungarian People’s Republic, had other ideas. In March of 1965, Papp announced his plans to quit boxing, claiming the Hungarian government had ordered him to retire from the ring. “I’m very sorry about all this,” Papp said. “I was hoping they would change their minds, but the ruling was definite – I am not supposed to box as a professional anymore.” Naturally, Papp’s decision spawned rumors. It was said by some that Hungarian authorities thought Papp was getting too old to box and didn’t want him to suffer a loss. Others felt the government was punishing Papp because he’d refused to coach the Hungarian boxing team as they prepared for the Tokyo Olympics. A third story had to do with the government’s disapproval of Papp’s growing fame (and growing bank account). What sort of example was Papp setting for his fellow communist citizens? By traveling out of the country and getting paid to box, he was practically waving the flag of capitalism. At the time, Hungary was still an oppressive country. Less than a decade had passed since the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian Revolution, and Soviet troops still lurked in the shadows. Political dissenters were still beaten down, while high restrictions were placed on travel to the West. The country had loosened up considerably since the Communist Party takeover in the 1940s but kept a heavy thumb on the heads of Hungarians. Papp may have had a good left hand, but he was no match for even a “soft dictatorship.” He never boxed again. unanswered question » Papp (1926-2003) left behind a record of 27-0-2 with 15 KOs. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001, making him one of the rare enshrinees without a world championship to his credit. Could Papp have beaten Giardello for the championship? It is possible. Once Papp was out of the picture, Giardello lost the title five months later to Dick Tiger. Perhaps Giardello was ripe for plucking. We’ll never know. And we’ll never know how Papp would’ve fared against the other top middleweights of the period, such as Emile Griffith or Nino Benvenuti. Chances are, Papp was getting a bit old by then and might’ve fallen short against the best of the middleweights. Again, we’ll never know. Maybe it’s a good thing that Papp never fought after 1964. Sometimes an unanswered question is more fun than the answer.
rounds with Ralph “Tiger” Jones » For his 17th professional win, Papp boxed his way to a 10-round decision over Tiger Jones. But it was no easy night. Jones, the seminal American journeyman who had once been a TV favorite in America, traveled to Vienna in March of 1962 and more than earned his payday. Before a reported 16,000 customers at the Stadthalle arena, Papp knocked Jones down in the second, third and 10th rounds. Jones, always a threat even when being outclassed, managed to open a gash over Papp’s left eyebrow, an injury that bothered Papp from the eighth round on. The fight’s final moments were torrid, as Jones landed some desperation shots that left Papp wobbly. Jones’ last-minute attack led to the Hungarian wrestling him into the ropes and out of the ring. Jones, 34 and a veteran of 89 professional contests, retired after losing to Papp. He went out, however, with the proverbial bang. “Both fighters were on the verge of a knockout in the last round,” reported the United Press, “when they kept hitting each other and forgot everything about defense.”
Olympic gold medals » A short, bow- legged southpaw, Papp was described by one writer as
“dapper and mustachioed as a Ruritanian officer.” As tough as he was clever, Papp amassed an amateur record of 301-12-6 and purportedly scored 55 first-round knockouts. While representing Hungary at the 1948 Olympics in London, Papp trounced the competition and took home the gold medal at middleweight. He turned the same trick in the light middleweight division at the 1952 Helsinki games, and again at the 1956 games in Melbourne. With his triumph in Australia, which included a victory over future light heavyweight champion Jose Torres in the finals, Papp was the first boxer to win three consecutive gold medals. Only two others, Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, both of Cuba, have matched his feat.
years old when he turned pro » A bit old to turn professional and already suffering from bad hands, Papp enjoyed a successful pro debut by winning an easy four-round decision over Alois Bran in Cologne, West Germany, on May 18, 1957. Distancing himself from Hungary’s state-run boxing system where fighters were housed and feted like prized cattle, Papp pursued more pro bouts in West Germany, as well as France, Austria and Croatia. By December of 1960, he’d registered 11 wins and two draws, the draws coming against Germinal Ballarin in Paris and Giancarlo Garbelli in Milan, Italy. Though the Paris fight was only notable for Ballarin’s anger at having to shave his mustache before the bout due to some odd French ruling, Papp’s bout with Garbelli was allegedly a tough one. “The Hungarian landed lightning-like lefts to Garbelli’s jaw in the opening rounds,” reported the United Press. Garbelli survived Papp’s early onslaught and won the later part of the fight “as Papp tired and went on the defensive.”
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